Tuesday, May 9, 2017

As the former president and CEO of Municipal Lighting Systems, Inc., in Miami, Florida, William Pino led the company in becoming the top supplier of outdoor lighting products in multiple South Florida municipalities. Outside of his professional life in Miami, William Pino is a fan of author Gregory David Roberts, and one of his favorite books is Roberts’ Shantaram.

Published in 2003, Shantaram, which in many ways mirrors the author’s real life, centers on an Australian man who escapes prison and travels to Bombay, India, where he becomes embroiled in the city’s underbelly. In 2014, Roberts withdrew from public life, offering an explanation on his website.

Roberts starts the letter by explaining the extent of his retirement, stating he will no longer give speeches, attend events, or conduct interviews. The author says he does not even have an email account, mobile phone, or social media presence. Instead, he hopes to devote his time to family, loved ones, and new projects.

Insisting that he is not running away, Roberts instead calls it “creative seclusion.” He hopes his fans will understand his choices upon seeing and hearing what he is currently working on, which includes essays, graphic novels, novels, short stories, movies, and even music. The Mountain Shadow, the sequel to Shantaram, was published in 2015.

About Me

An alumnus of the University of Costa Rica, longtime Miami resident
William Pino studied electrical engineering and physics. After
graduating in 1975, he moved to the United States. William Pino began
his career as a vice president, outside sales representative, and
manager of Power & Lighting Systems, Inc. In that position, which he
held from 1981 to 1995, he helped grow the company from $4 million in
annual sales to $20 million. He concurrently served from 1983 to 1991 as
vice president of engineering at Columbia Engineering in Miami. There,
he was directly responsible for the design of four large sugar mills in
the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

In 1995, Mr. Pino founded
Municipal Lighting Systems, Inc., a firm dedicated to producing
innovative, effective lighting solutions for the municipal and outdoor
lighting markets. From 1995 to 2016, he built the company into the
largest outdoor lighting supplier in Florida with annual revenue of more
than $20 million. In 2000, he founded Main Street Engineering, Inc.,
which provided parallel electrical engineering and consulting services
for major outdoor lighting projects.

Subsequently working on
Miami International Airport, the port of Miami, and other major
projects, he has emphasized environmentally friendly design that
protects turtle habitats and reduces light pollution. Since 2010, Mr.
Pino has served as the president of Florida Lighting & Traffic, Inc.
The company has since become one of the top three traffic-signal firms
in Florida, with $8 million in annual sales.